FARMS Canada clearing the air about seasonal workers.
Yesterday, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announced that any temporary foreign worker with a visa as well as international students would be allowed to enter Canada after observing a 14-day period of self-isolation.
Many groups and members of the media took that news as word that offshore workers would be given access to Canada.
This, however, is apparently only true of workers coming from the United States to Canada and vice versa – this does not include seasonal workers outside of our two countries.
The offices of F.A.R.M.S. and CanAg Travel Services say they must wait for an official notice from Ottawa before securing any flights.
We will provide you with an update once more information becomes available.
The full update is below:
Ken Forth, President F.A.R.M.S.
Anthony Cervini, President CanAg Travel Service
Sue Williams, General Manager
Both offices continue to receive numerous telephone calls from employers. We understand the seasonal agriculture workers are critical to your operations.
It is important to clarify the overwhelming media attention and announcements today made by some Ministers in relation to temporary foreign workers entering Canada. Note, they are not valid. The specific misinterpretation came from the reference to the Canada and U.S. border closures allowing cross- border temporary foreign workers to continue to enter each country. As an example an individual living in Ontario and working in the U.S. and vice versa, may be referred to as a temporary foreign worker.
If your commodity organization circulated this misinformation please go back to that source for clarification. The offices of F.A.R.M.S. and CanAg Travel Services must wait for an official notice from Ottawa before securing any flights.
The good news I am pleased to share with you is: the Strategy Document all industry partners have been working on is complete. The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister and his cabinet are receiving this document tonight since the seasonal farm workers and their contribution to our food supply have been priority, for many, in Ottawa since Monday’s announcement.
All employers have been placed in a precarious situation. F.A.R.M.S. and all commodity groups continue to work together to change the minds of the federal government.